Sparker-igniter-retarding device for gas-engines.



PATENTED JULY 17, 1 906.

. T. B. JEFFREY. SPARKER IGNITER RETARDING DEVICE FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9. 1905.

jUiiTlTED V STATES PATENT ()F'F THOMAS JnrrEsY, or KENOSHA, Wisconsin. SPARKER-IGNITER -RETARDING DEVICE FOR GAS-ENGINES;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application filed January 9,1905. Serial No. 240,228.

ing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved means for'adjusting. the ignitingspark in an electric igniter for gas-engines suitably at start-in by means of the movement of parts whic 1 are necessarily operated at starting the motor.

It consists of the features and characteristics of construction set out in the claims.

In the drawings,Figur'e l'is a detail plan view showing certain parts of a motor-vehicle, and the gas-motorthereof having the features and elements constituting my invention. "Fig.2 is a sectional elevation showing more fully the parts of the structure seen in Fig". 1, the'vehicle-frame being shown in transverse section. Fig. 3 is a section at the line 3 on Fig. 2.

v For the purpose of understanding my-invention the particular construction of the vehicle and motor is immaterial, except-in cer- .tain' specific features, and the general construction will therefore not be explained, ex-

cept in so far?- as it is directly related to the parts constituting the invention. It is well understood" that the time of sparking in a gas-motor being varied with. respect to the time of maximum compression of the explosive gas in the compressionstroke'of the piston will cause variation in the power developed by the explosion and the consequent speed attained by the motor, and that for the maximum elliciency the spark should be produced at such time that v e resultantcombustion or explosion may take lace at the instant of maximum compression, and that in order to obtain this result the circuit should be closed for causing the spark a little before the instant of maximum compression. It is also well understood that when the engine is operating slowly, as at starting, if the spark is produced before'the instant of maximum compres-- sionthat is, before the piston has complated its inward str0kethe explosion is liable to occur before that stroke is completed, so causing the motion of the engine to e reversed, because the motor will not have momentum enough to complete the stroke against the initial force of the explosion. It is therefore well understood that it is necessary to adjust the sparking device so that at startm the spark should not be produced until t e piston has completed its return stroke and the crank has passed the center;

so that the explosion Will with certainty continue the rotation in the proper direction. The expedient for adjusting or regulating the time of sparking which I employ in connection withthe resent invention c onsistsin making one of the contactoints of the sparking device adjustable in t e path of the other contactoint, so that it may be set back or .forwar in said ath to retard or advance the spark, and t e present invention consists, broadly, in connecting this adjustable contact-point with the meanswhich are employed and practically necessary in all cases for relieving the cylinder of a part of the explosive charge at starting, so that the operator may be able to start the engine by hand,

as he might not be able if the usual full charge were contained in the cylinder without relief and had to be compressed to the maximum. The device for thus relieving the cylinder of a ortion of the explosive charge may accomphsh this result in various ways.

\ In the drawings the rocking-lever 1, suitably mounted upon any fixed portion of the structure, is the lever which operates the exhaust-valve, which must be opened to relieve the cylinder, the connections to the exhaustvalve being made from the end 3 of the lever, the opposite endof the lever having the roller 4, which bears upon the valve-operatin" cam 5 of the shaft 6, which makes one revo ution for two revolutions of the main shaft and whose complete revolution therefore corresponds to the full cycle of the engines action, such engine being understood to have the customary four-cycle action. The cam 5, it will be noticed, has one prominence 5, so that the valve as controlled by this cam is open but once in the entire cycle-namely, at the exhaust-stroke of the piston. Alongside this cam on the same. shaft and most conveniently of one piece with the earn 5 is a supplernental cum 7, which has two prominences '7 and 7 at substantially opposite positions,

the former being of the same height as and lment 12 of the ofthe rotating conta'ct-carryin continuous with the prominence 5 cam 5 and the latter being of less height.- The rocking lever 1 is movable longitudinally of its pivot-that is, transversely with 'respect'to' the lever-and is provided with a spring 8, tending to hold it in the position at which its roll is on the cam 5; but if it is pushed laterally against the resistance of the springthe roll will pass over onto the'cam 7,

and the lever will then be operated so as to open the exhaust-valve not only at the usual exhaust-point, but also at the compressionpoint; butthe prominence 7 operating for this second opening, being less than .the

rominence 7 ives the valve onl a artial P e Y P ening, and therefore only relieves a portion 0 the pressure instead of permitting full exhaust, the relief-being, however, designed to be sufficient to render it possible for the operator to operate the engine by hand, while obtaining an explosion of sufficient force to continue the movement thus started. For forcing the lever 1 laterally, so as to shift it onto the'cam 7, there is provided awedge 9, suitably mounted by means of a slot 9 on the stud'1, on which the lever 1 is fulcrumed, and having its diverging faces operating, respectively, against one side of the hub of the lever and against the frame in which thestud is rotated. A rod or handle 10 extends from this Wedge to any convenient point within reach ofthe 0 erator, where it is lodged and sustained-in t is proper support 11, beyond which it may be provided with any convenient form of handle, as the loop 10 so that the operator by pulling back the wedge may shift the lever off of the earn 5 and onto the cam 7. This will be done irrall cases as apreliminary to starting the engine by hand.

12 12 represent an element comprising a metal part 12 and an insulating part 12, which carries on the latter the movable contact-point 12 for closing and opening the circuit to produce the igniting-spark. his contact-carrying element is pivotally mounted by means of the metal part 12 upon the shaft 6, on which the cooperating contactcarrying element 14 is mounted for rotation.

The contact-carrying element has pivotally connected to its insulating part 12 an operating-rod 15, suitably lodged and guided on the framework, extending alon side the rod or handle 10 of the wed e 9, an said rod or handle 10 has a sidewar -jutting eye 10, through which the rod 15 passes, and said last-mentioned rod has stop nuts or collars 16 and 17 at opposite sides, respectivel of said eye, the stop-nut 17 being adjustab e on the rod. When the operator 1111's the rod 10 to operate the wedge 9 for t is purpose explained, the eye 10 encounters the stop-nut 17 on therod 15, pulling that rod in direction to cause it to swing the contact-carrying eleits fulcrum to shift other; a spring which holds it normally in po-- be adjusted on desired amount.

I claim 1. In an explosive-engine, in combination with the exhaust-valve-o crating lever two cams for operating said ever mounts side by side, the lever being movable laterally on it from one cam to the sition for cooperation with one of its came a wedge sliding on the fulcrum of the lever for crowding the lever laterall against the action of the spring, and a andle extending from said wedge for operating the same. 7

2. In an explosive-engine, in combination with the exhaust-valve-operating lever, two cams ada ted to operate said lever, one of the cams eing constructed for opening the valve once in'the revolution of the cam and the other being constructed for opening it twice, the lever being movable laterally on its fulcrum to shift it from one cam to the other; a spring tending to hold it in position for cooperation with the first-mentioned earn a Wedge slidingl on the lever-fulcrum tapers for crowding t e lever against the tension of its spring to shift it to the second cam, and a rotating elethe rod 15 as found necessary or most convenient to retard the spark the forward in the directionof rotation r, 5

handle extending from said wedge for operating the same at will.

3. In an explosive-engine, with the exhaust-valve-operatin devices, a bar movable at will for'opening t e exhaustvalve during the com ression-stroke; a contact makin and brea 'ng device comprising an adjusta 1e elementcarryin one oft e contact-pieces; a link connected to said adjustable element extending conti nous to said bar and cooperating stops on said link a stop on the bar for communicating art of the motion of the bar to the link am roviding for play between the bar and link with respect to the remainder of such motion.

4. In an explosive-engine, in combination with the exhaust-valve-o crating devices, means for causing the ex aust-valve to be partially opened during the compressionstroke to relieve the compression, sa d means comprising a rod or bar movable at will for suchrelie a contact making and breaking -device comprising-a rotating and an adjustin combination one stop intermediate the two, the stop on Kenosha, Wisconsin, this 27th day of De the link which encounters a stop on the recember, 1904. lief-bar in the movement of the bar for relief,

being adjustable to vary the time of suph eni 5 counter in the relief movement of the bar. In presence of In testimony whereof I have hereunto set W. JEFFERY, my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, at l G. H. EDDY.

THOS. B. JEFFERY. 

